Can someone explain for me what the difference is between On30 and On3. I know what On30 is and own a Bachmann set … O gauge running on HO track. What is On3 and how does it differ from On30? Thanks for enlightening me!!!
The difference is easy - six inches.
On30 is 1/4" to the foot O scale trains with the tracks 30 inches apart. Bachmann make these.
On3 is 1/4" to the foot O scale trains with the tracks 3 feet apart. Mostly a craftsman and brass engine scale. That’s why On30 is popular, it’s a lot cheaper.
Bob Boudreau
On3 is 0.75" (19 mm) between the rails which scales out to 3’ in O scale. This is OO track gauge. On30 is 16.5 mm between the rails which is the same as HO standard gauge. This scales out to approximately 30" in O scale. The big advantage of On30 over On3 is the availavility of good quality, affordable locos and rolling stock from firms like Bachmann and other companies. Since On30 runs on HO track, a lot of HO track, trucks, wheels, couplers, and other components are useful. In addition to the increasing selection of locomotives and rolling stock in On30, there are also some HO locos and pieces of rolling stock that can be converted to On30. Since On30 and HO use the same gauge, conversion usually entails rebuilding the superstructures and adding the appropiate detail parts. There are some companies such as Banta Model Works that make kits for converting HO locos and rolling stock to On30. On30 uses the same RP 25 track and wheel standards as HO.